The Presidency has dismissed Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi’s call for President Bola Tinubu to resign, describing it as “childish and an unwarranted distraction” hours after the APC won several by-elections across the country.
In a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the Presidency said Obi’s comparison with the British Prime Minister’s voluntary exit was “misplaced” and reflected a “selective and distorted view of Nigeria’s realities since 2023.”
“His view is also simplistic, as is often the case anytime he opens his mouth,” Onanuga said. “Obi forgets our country does not run a parliamentary system of government like the UK. We run a presidential system, with the president elected to a fixed 4-year term.”
The statement cited recent election results in Ekiti State and senatorial seats in Nasarawa, Enugu, Ondo and Rivers as proof of Tinubu’s popularity. “The people of Ekiti State and the senatorial constituents… have just delivered a resounding victory for President Tinubu and his party. The election results, some early referendum of sorts, show that President Tinubu and his party are popular with Nigerians,” it read.
On security, the Presidency said Tinubu inherited “longstanding and deeply rooted” challenges but has made measurable progress. It listed the rescue of hundreds from captivity, neutralisation of terrorist kingpins, removal of over 15,000 terrorists from circulation, and expanded investment in drones and technology.
Onanuga also criticised Obi’s record as Anambra governor, referencing comments by former governor Willie Obiano that Obi “was unable to secure lives and property in his small state.”
On the economy, the statement rejected Obi’s claim that “we are in the worst possible condition.” It noted quarterly GDP growth above global average since 2023, foreign reserves above $50 billion, oil production rising to about 1.8 million barrels per day, and federation revenue projected at over ₦30 trillion for 2026 compared to ₦7.7 trillion in 2022. It added that the All-Share Index rose from 50,000 to over 250,000 and that foreign investments were at record highs.
The Presidency also defended Tinubu’s infrastructure and power sector record, citing concrete roads, Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry superhighways, CNG rollout, interest-free loans for two million students, and no ASUU strike since 2023. On electricity, it clarified that Tinubu never promised 24-hour power for all, but said his administration signed the Electricity Act, rolled out prepaid meters, and was addressing transmission and pricing.
Acknowledging the high cost of living, the statement blamed global shocks from the Middle East conflict, including the Strait of Hormuz disruption. “No one denies that Nigeria has challenges, especially regarding the high cost of living. But any honest politician will agree this is a global problem,” Onanuga said.
He concluded that Obi’s resignation call was “political grandstand and an unworthy distraction,” and that Tinubu was focused on reforms, security and laying groundwork for prosperity. “We are now convinced that Peter Obi lives in his self-constructed echo chambers, where he reels off lie after lie to himself and believes his self-created reality about the situation in Nigeria,” the statement added.
